PSYC 215                                                                                                                   Spring 2006

Child Development                                        11:20-12:35 TR                                  Sturges 111

 

Professor: Kenneth D. Kallio, Ph.D.

Office: Sturges 120

Phone: 245-5249

Email: kallio@geneseo.edu

Web: www.geneseo.edu\~kallio

Hours: 10:00 – 11:00 or by appointment.

 

Learning Objectives

 

Social Science Core:  This course fulfills one course in the social science general education requirements (for non-Psychology majors).  The guidelines for social science core courses stress the development of the following characteristics of a responsible member of society:

(1) An acquaintance with major empirical, analytical, or theoretical approaches to human behavior, institutions or culture;

(2) An acquaintance with social, economic, political, or moral alternatives;

(3) An acquaintance with major problems, issues, institutions, practices or trends in the social world;

(4) A capacity to express ideas clearly, coherently and grammatically in written form as one component of the evaluation process.  This written work must total at least 1500 words, at least half of which must be prepared outside of class.

 

Specific learning objectives for this course are: 

 

Students will demonstrate:

(1)   Knowledge of the potential roles of genetic and environmental factors and their interaction in shaping the general pattern of psychological development;

(2)   Knowledge of the potential roles of genetic and environmental factors and their interaction in producing variation in psychological development;

(3)   Knowledge of the major theoretical approaches to describing psychological development during infancy and childhood;

(4)   Knowledge of the major developmental changes that occur during infancy and childhood in physical growth, motor skill, perception, language, cognition, emotion, social skill, and character;

(5)   Knowledge of normal variation in psychological development in physical growth, motor skill, perception, language, mental ability, emotion, social skill, and character;

(6)   Skill in reporting findings of research using a format appropriate for scientific investigation.  

 

Required Text and Supplements

 

         DeHart, G.B., Sroufe, L.A., & Cooper, R.G. (2004). Child Development Its Nature and Course (Fifth Edition). Boston: McGraw Hill.

 

Quizzes and Exams

 

There will be four quizzes and a final exam.  See the course outline for the scheduled dates.  Each quiz will consist of multiple-choice items.  The multiple-choice items are designed to tap knowledge of text, CD-ROM, and lecture material.

 

Writing Assignment

 

In order to fulfill the social science core requirement each student must submit a five-page paper.  To complete the paper project, each student will collect specific information and write a report on it.  Due date for the assignment is posted on the course outline.  Several options for topics will be offered.  More information on the paper will be available in class.   

 

Grades

 

In calculating the final course grade, your average on the four quizzes will be weighted 60 percent in the final grade.  The writing assignment will be weighted 20 percent. The final exam will be weighted 20 percent.  Each student's final grade will be determined by comparing the average to the following grade scale.  Failure to pass the required paper or to pass the final exam will result in a failing grade regardless of the actual final average.  

 

A  = 92.50-100

B  = 82.50-87.49

C  = 72.50-77.49

A- = 90.0-92.49

B- = 80.00-82.49

C- = 70.00-72.49

B+ = 87.50-89.99

C+ = 77.50-79.99

D  = 60.00-69.99

 

Research Participation

 

One way to become more familiar with the research process is to participate as a subject in a research project.  To encourage your participation, you can earn extra points on each quiz by voluntarily serving as a subject in a research project through the Psychology Department’s web-based sign up system.  For each research credit that you accumulate, two points will be added to your raw score on one of the quizzes.  You may apply one research credit (two points) to your score on each quiz, for a total of four research credits for the semester.   To find out more about specific studies you can participate in and to sign up for them, go to http://geneseo.sona-systems.com/.  Sometime during the first two weeks of the course, you will receive an email with login information and instructions on how to sign up.

 

Course Outline and Schedule (subject to change)

 

 

 

Jan 17

Basic Questions and History

Chapter 1

Jan 19

Measuring Development

Chapter 1

 

 

 

Jan 24

The Evolutionary Context of Development

Chapter 2

Jan 26

Is Development Inevitable?

Chapter 2

 

 

 

 

Jan 31

The Cultural Context of Development

Chapter 2

Feb 2

Do Genes Determine Development?

Chapter 3

 

 

 

Feb 7

Prenatal Development and Birth

Chapter 3

Feb 9

Quiz 1

 

 

 

 

Feb 14

Brain Development

Chapter 4

Feb 16

First Adaptations

Chapter 4

 

 

 

Feb 21

An Introduction to Piaget’s Theory

Chapter 5

Feb 23

Sensorimotor Development

Chapter 5

 

 

 

Feb 28

The Importance of Early Experience

Chapter 6

Mar 2

Attachment Theory

 Chapter 6

 

 

 

Mar7

Quiz 2

 

Mar 9

Stages of Language Development Explaining Language Development

Chapter 7

 

 

 

Mar 14

Spring Break – No Class

 

Mar 16

Spring Break – No Class

 

 

 

 

Mar 21

Parent Effects and Child Effects

Chapter 8

Mar 23

Knowledge of the Social World

Chapter 8

 

 

 

Mar 28

Development of Representational Skill

Chapter 9

Marr 30

Attention and Memory in Children

Chapter 9

 

 

 

Apr 4

Quiz 3

 

Apr 6

The Beginnings of Identity

Writing Assignment Due

Chapter 10

 

 

 

Apr 11

Aggression in Childhood

Chapter 10

Apr 13

Cognitive Changes in Middle Childhood

Chapter 11

 

 

 

Apr 18

IQ and Schooling

Chapter 11

Apr 20

Peer Relations and Character Development

Chapter 12

 

 

 

Apr 25

Achievement and Schooling

 Chapter 12

Apr 27

Quiz 4

 

 

 

 

May 4

(8 AM)

Final Exam (essay format)